Supermodified Sim Racers Facing Tough North Carolina Swing grind with Five Tracks in Three Nights
October 17, 2021 – Goshen, IN…A tough five track, three night trek through the Tarheel State, and the 18th Annual North Carolina Swing, looms ahead for the drivers of the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), October 19-21, 2021. This tough multi-race swing features four qualifying races over the first two nights where drivers will fight to be among the top eight in points so that they can be invited to the “winner takes all” 75 lap finale on night three.
Real Test of Luck and Skill
There’s simply no other multi-race swing like the SUPRS North Carolina Swing and it’s a real test of luck, skill, consistency, endurance, and dedication. Because the SUPRS racers compete in their NASCAR Heat, and rFactor sim racing supermodifieds, at four distinctly different tracks, including one fictional venue, it takes incredible skill to put together good finishes the first two nights.
It also pays to be lucky, and drivers will hope to not get caught up in the chaos in those qualifying races so that they have a shot at the overall North Carolina Swing Championship in The Hickory Hustle.
In the long history of the North Carolina Swing, 13 different drivers have won the NC Swing Championship. Just two, Myles Maxon and Rob Warren have captured the North Carolina Swing crown more than once, with each driver doing so three times in their storied careers. Maxon is the only driver to win the North Carolina Swing Championship back-to-back, so it just goes to show that claiming the North Carolina Swing crown once, let alone twice, is no easy task.
Keysor Defending NC Swing Champion
After not making The Hickory Hustle the first two years he tried, last year Brad Keysor finally hit pay dirt. Keysor led 70 laps after taking the lead from pole-sitter and three-time North Carolina Swing Champion, Rob Warren. The race was slowed just once on lap 44 when rookie Jon Held of Canada made contact with 2018 North Carolina Swing Champion Keith Powell.
Keysor may have dominated the 75 lap race with speed, but he more than proved that consistency is one of the key factors to just making it in the final night . He said at the time, “This week has been interesting, but what’s really interesting is to not have won a race during the week, then to win this and it’s nice to win it.”
Keysor was on the podium with three second places throughout the first four races of the 2020 North Carolina Swing and never finished lower than sixth.
Swing Opens with Two 40 Lap NASCAR Heat Races
Like so many years in the past, the 2021 North Carolina Swing starts on Tuesday, October 19, at Dasera Speedway. The fictional track is a high-banked 3/8 mile bowl with wide corners but narrow straights. There will be plenty of action in the 40 lap feature as the drivers try to get the NC Swing off to a good start, but avoid the backstretch wall that comes up quick.
The second race of the night happens at the high-banked 3/8 mile Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, NC. The drivers suit up for another 40 lap feature at a place that hosted real supermodifieds for a couple of years, and is a place that has very little in the way of straights and the drivers are constantly turning.
Both races on Tuesday are part of the SUPRS/HeatFinder.net Supermodified Challenge and are open to all drivers that have registered to race with SUPRS at least 24 hours in advance.
Drivers Switch to rFactor for Second Night of Swing
On Wednesday, October 20, the drivers switch to the rFactor sim racing platform and head to Southern National Motorsports Park and Concord Motorsports Park.
Both tracks have hosted real supermodified racing and are very fast and have a lot of banking. Yet each is a unique track in it’s own right with Southern National being a 1/2 mile oval and Concord a 1/2 mile tri-oval with a tricky dogleg in the backstretch. A 50 lap feature event at both tracks await the drivers on night 2 of the North Carolina Swing.
The Hickory Hustle Winner is North Carolina Swing Champion
The fifth and final race of the North Carolina Swing is the most important because it’s a winner takes all 75 lap feature at Hickory Motor Speedway. The driver that wins The Hickory Hustle is crowned the North Carolina Swing Champion.
The Hickory Hustle is an invitation only, SUPRS Gold Crest event for qualified drivers based on finishing in the top eight in North Carolina Swing points for races 1-4 of the swing, plus two alternates. What makes this race even tougher, is that the starting line-up for the Hickory Hustle is determined by random draw for the 75 lap feature!
Watch All the North Carolina Swing Action
Fans can follow the fun and excitement of the 18th Annual North Carolina Swing all three nights. The SUPRS LIVE! page keeps fans abreast of the action, showing live streaming video and race commentary, instantaneous position changes, lap times, penalties, race status and track telemetry.
If fans can’t make it to SUPRS.net for the live action, they can always catch up with the SUPRS On-Demand replays uploaded to YouTube within 72 hours of each event.
Get Social with SUPRS
Supermodified racing fans and sim racers alike can learn more about the original online supermodified sim racing sanction when they visit www.SUPRS.net.
The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series is very active on social media where fans can “Like” SUPRS on Facebook, Follow @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, See SUPRS on Instagram, and View over 900 real supermodified racing videos on SUPRS YouTube.
2021 SUPRS North Carolina Swing Schedule:
- Race 1-Tuesday, 10/19/2021-Dasara Speedway-40 laps (SUPRS HeatFinder Open) Defending Winner: Kyle Perry
- Race 2-Tuesday, 10/19/2021-Orange County Speedway-40 laps (SUPRS HeatFinder Open) Defending Winner: Keith Powell
- Race 3-Wednesday, 10/20/2021-Southern National Raceway Park-50 laps Defending Winner: Dave Ohh
- Race 4- Wednesday, 10/20/2021-Concord Motorsports Park-50 laps Defending Winner: Dave Ohh
- Race 5- Thursday, 10/21/2021-Hickory Motor Speedway-75 laps Defending Winner: Brad Keysor
SUPRS North Carolina Swing History:
- 2005 North Carolina Swing Champion: JP Curry-PA
- 2006 North Carolina Swing Champion: Sean O’Kane-NY
- 2007 North Carolina Swing Champion: Mike Jackson-NY
- 2008 North Carolina Swing Champion: Gary Waldron-MI
- 2009 North Carolina Swing Champion: Myles Maxon-NY
- 2009-10 North Carolina Swing Champion: Myles Maxon-NY
- 2010-11 North Carolina Swing Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.-NY
- 2011-12 North Carolina Swing Champion: Chris Meyers-OH
- 2012-13 North Carolina Swing Champion: Carl Becker-MI
- 2013-14 North Carolina Swing Champion: Bob Gangwer-IN
- 2014-15 North Carolina Swing Champion: Myles Maxon-NY
- 2015-16 North Carolina Swing Champion: Rob Warren-NY
- 2016-17 North Carolina Swing Champion: Steve Callahan-OH
- 2017-18 North Carolina Swing Champion: Rob Warren-NY
- 2018-19 North Carolina Swing Champion: Keith Powell-OH
- 2019-20 North Carolina Swing Champion: Rob Warren-NY
- 2020-21 North Carolina Swing Champion: Brad Keysor-NY
North Carolina Swing Multi-Time Champions: Myles Maxon, (3); Rob Warren, (3)
North Carolina Swing Championships by State:
- New York-10
- Ohio-3
- Michigan-2
- Pennsylvania-1
- Indiana-1
